The present invention relates to an image capture system and, more particularly, to a method and apparatus for capturing reflective data from both sides of a photo.
Image capture devices are currently used for a wide variety of applications. Typical applications include document scanning (possibly including optical character recognition (OCR)), digital photography, photographic print scanning, and photographic transparency scanning. Many photographers currently capture images to photographic films using standard 35 mm, medium format, or large format cameras. The resulting print (or film) may then be digitally captured using a scanner. Many of these scanners allow only the capture of images from either transparencies or prints. Some scanners, such as the Hewlett-Packard PhotoSmart(trademark) S20 (Hewlett-Packard Company, Palo Alto, Calif.), allow the user to choose between scanning a print, a 35 mm mounted transparency, or a strip of 35 mm film.
Many photo labs print information about the photo, or about the processing on the back of the photographic prints they produce. The advanced photo system (APS) allows cameras to include information such as the date and time, film frame number, cartridge identification number, exposure settings, etc. on an optically clear, but magnetically sensitive coating on both edges of the APS film. The photo lab may then read this information during processing and print it on the back of each photo. Further, many people add their own notations on the backs of their photos, including the names of people in the photos or the location where the photo was taken. Currently, when photographers scan their prints, they usually scan the image on the front of the print and often neglect the information on the back of the print. Thus, there is a need in the art for a method and apparatus that automatically scans both sides of the print and maintains a correlation of the image data with the backside data.
By scanning both sides of a photographic print, data from the back of the print may be associated with the image. If the backside data includes text, optical character recognition (OCR) techniques may be used to convert the image of the back of the photo into text that may be included in a database or other structure allowing the text to be associated with the photographic image. This allows the user to quickly and easily search a large database of images for either a specific image or a group of images according to some set of search criteria.
Other aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, illustrating by way of example the principles of the invention.